Business Document Automation (BDA) allows users to streamline their documents and business processes through the use of applications, solutions, and services. BDA utilizes an “on-ramp” capability that allows users to scan printed documents into various electronic forms, thus bridging the gap between printed and electronic media. The use of mobile devices, such as, for example, smartphones and tablets, for document on-ramp is an important element in this strategy.
Automatic page border detection is an essential element of BDA that can significantly enhance ease of use. Accurate border detection saves a user time and effort to define the page/object borders, so that the unwanted background can be eliminated and the geometry correction of the document can be performed precisely. Also, reliable page border detection is important to ensure the output image exhibits low distortion and good resolution throughout the page.
Known algorithms for automatic border detection are typically not accurate when an image background includes clutter, edges or structure, or if there is not sufficient contrast between the document and the background.